Objection in relation with the reservations made by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau:
"In relation with the reservations made by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam to Articles 12 and 85 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and in relation with the reservation to Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War made by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recalling their declaration on ratification in relation to similar reservations by other States, wish to state that, whilst they do not oppose the entry into force of the two Conventions in question between the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, they are unable to accept the above-mentioned reservations thereto made by those States because, in the view of the Government of the United Kingdom, these reservations are not of the kind which intending Parties to the Convention are entitled to make.
The Government of the United Kingdom wish also to place on record that they take the same view of the similar reservations made by the Swiss Minister in London on 8 January 1957, and by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, notified by the Swiss Ambassador in London on 24 August 1957..."
Declaration made upon ratification:
"I am further instructed by Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to refer to the reservations made (...) by the following States:
The People's Republic of Albania, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Bulgarian People's
Republic, the People's Republic of China, the Czechoslovak Republic, the Polish Republic, the
Rumanian People's Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (...)
and to Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Civilian Persons in Time of War made by all the above-mentioned States and by the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.
"I am instructed by Her Majesty's Government to state that whilst they regard all the above-mentioned States as being parties to the above-mentioned Conventions, they do not regard the above-mentioned reservations thereto made by those States as valid, and will therefore regard any application of any of those reservations as constituting a breach of the Convention to which the reservation relates."
With letters dated June 13, 1997, the British Ambassador to Switzerland deposited the following declaration:
"I am instructed by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to refer to the [four Geneva Conventions] (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") which apply to Hong Kong at present. I am also instructed to state that, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the Government of the United Kingdom will restore Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to have international responsibility for Hong Kong until that date. Therefore, from that date the Government of the United Kingdom will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from application of the Convention to Hong Kong."
Declaration made upon ratification:
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will apply each of the above-mentioned Conventions in the British Protected States of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the Trucial States to the extent of Her Majesty's powers in relation to those territories."
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